Kim was kind of unprepared for the realization that she was looking forward to seeing Jack's tall figure to come through the doors of the GreenBean. Somehow during the detention hours they managed to develop normal, talking, relationship. He was still kind of cold and formal, but now she thought that he might be shy rather than condescending. And he was helpful: he drove her to the GreenBean after detentions. She noticed that he smiled more and decided that he was just of those people, who needed some time to open up. She marveled at how first impressions could be misleading. She was glad she got the detention because she thought that she maybe made a friend.
Another thing that the detention was good for was the Millie, or Milton and Julie. Whatever imaginary obstacles that Milton saw were overcome during the three days of lab cleaning. Julie, at the behest of Kim had made a first step and told Milton to tell her once and for all whether he liked her or not. He did. And the rest was history. Julie was gushing and blushing, and in general acted very much unlike herself.
"I am so happy right now, Kim. I can't thank you enough! Oh, I could hug the whole world!"
Kim only laughed, happy for her friends and thinking that she could do much worse than being friends with these four wonderful people.
The creepy guy with cruel eyes turned out to be Kai Brewer - Jack's cousin and Ty's best student at the Black Dragons. It was Julie who told her. She was in the GreenBean one afternoon and saw him.
It was only now that Kim realized the significance of his order: he was trying to show her that he knew of Jack and his patronage of the GreenBean. It irked her a little: she didn't want to get in the middle of the blood feud that these two had going on.
But it all paled in comparison to the general peace that went on in her life at the moment: the jobs were good, volunteering though boring was still rewarding in the end (and she had that little mystery to entertain her), her friends were great and she thought that her dad was less depressed lately.
Jack spent a restless night thinking over every interaction he had with Kim. She was innocent of any underhanded schemes, he decided. But it didn't mean she wasn't a danger to him. She was pretty, engaging, friendly and so unlike other girls, that he thought anyone would be at least curious.
But, she also was distracting, without many prospects, and was friends with the enemy, so to speak. She might not be acting like a typical girl now, but what if she became aware of his interest? Would she become clingy and desperate? What was her family situation? Wasn't she dating Milton?
He could only conclude that he had to stay away from her. This time he had to make sure to be physically removed from her and her amber like eyes. If only she could go back to being mad with him. Her cold shoulder would help him to stay away.
He got his wish quite unexpectedly.
Though he didn't talk to her and didn't show up at the GreenBean, he watched her and her friends at school, allowing himself this one indulgence. It was this keen eyed watching and listening that led him to finding out that Kai was actually spending time at the GreenBean. Julie was asking Kim if the creep with cruel eyes - Kai - had come to the shop again.
Irritation engulfed Jack and he ground his teeth. What was Kai doing there? Is this what his dad meant when he said that Kai knew of his own preoccupation with Kim? That Kai had his sights on her? Impossible... Kai was too much like Christopher to let anything distract him. Most likely, Kai was doing this to get to Jack. Good grief, how bad did it get that his jerk of a cousin was using Kim as a way to unsettle him? How did he let himself be so taken with a pretty face and witty conversation that it qualified as a pressure point?
Unacceptable. This was unacceptable. He had to get over this. But first he had to warn Kim about Kai.
So resolved he went to the GreenBean one last time.
Only to find Kai there making small talk with Kim, who smiled - smiled! - at his cousin.
Suddenly the anger, the frustration, the irritation that he no longer needed to restrain, rushed through him, hot and fast, and he marched to them before the intent to do so fully formed. The smirk on Kai's face was defiant and nasty, but it faded as Jack neared them.
"What are you doing here?" he hissed at Kai, his face an uncomfortable close distance from the other boy's. They were right in front of counter and Kim's large eyes were moving between the two cousins. Jack's hand dug tightly into Kai's shirt, holding him against the counter so it was digging into the boy's back. Jack's other hand was curled into a fist that was shaking just slightly.
"Getting my cappuccino. I swear it's the best I ever had. Kim," here his voice dropped lower, "is very good at this. You must know by now. You are here a lot."
"I don't believe you for a second. Who told you? Was it Brody? Frank? ...Yes, that must have been him. He is you little minion: just as cruel, only too stupid..." Jack was practically shouting.
"My, my... Look at you... So riled up... It's not even a tournament or your father's praise... I didn't know you sealed the deal with this one. I thought you were done with chicks. Too much distraction and headache for just a little action. She must be good."
The cold and uncomfortable feeling swept over Jack. He lost his temper and in doing so lost control of the situation. He could see and hear his father's face and voice now. 'A man in control of his emotions, Jack...'
He dropped the hand that was twisted in Kai's shirt and stepped back a little. "I have no interest in anyone, let alone some barista in a dinky little coffeehouse that knows little about proper coffee. I do care however that you spread your little lies about me. Just like when we were children. Can't quite win on your own, always need some trick."
Kai's face twisted and his eyes narrowed a little. Jack was pleased that he got one jab in.
"I need no help to wipe the floor with you, cousin. I've done that before and I will do it again." His lips stretched into an unpleasant smile. "And I don't need to live like a monk to do so. If you have no interest in this one, then you won't mind if I give her a try?"
Kai's smirk was downright disgusting and Jack held on to temper by a thread. Before he could respond or, worse, try to punch Kai, an angry voice cut through the tension between them.
"Enough of this, you two. If you want to have your dick measuring contest, do it somewhere else. But you are not fighting here on my watch. I'll hose you down and call the police, got it?"
Kim, furious and bright eyed, was waiving a kitchen sink hose in one hand and the small phone in another. She stared them both down until Jack stiffly nodded, followed by Kai's quiet 'yes.'
"Good." she said and then added, "For the record, 'this one barista' has no interest in being with either of you. And if you ever talk about me like I am not here or have no brains, I will put your karate skills to the test."
She looked at both of them pointedly and finished with a fake smile, "have a good day."
They both knew the dismissal when they heard one.
By the time Jack made it home he was deeply sorry for everything he said while at the GreenBean. He even failed to warn Kim of Kai and his nature. Although, maybe it was no longer necessary. Both of them showed themselves as the worst kind. She said as much. She had no interest in either of them.
Whatever regret he feIt, it was too late however. And probably better off this way. Kim was now very mad at him and it served his ultimate purpose: it would keep him away from her.
Just like he wanted to. Just like he needed to. So he could focus on what's important, like the tournament and learning the ropes of the Brewer business. Like besting Kai and proving to his father that he was better and stronger. A son Christopher Brewer would be proud of.
If only these cold comforts worked like they used to. Now, now they left him empty with a hollow feeling in the chest.
When it was already early morning rather than late night, he thought harshly that he was neither the son his father wanted, nor the honorable man. He lost his head to a pretty distraction, but when it came down to it, he could not even stand by it.
He felt awfully like a failure, the taste of it bitter in his mouth.
He did not get to sleep that night, regret eating away at him like acid.
Kim was enjoying her last week before the fall break and, even though they could not afford to visit the family for the Thanksgiving, she looked forward to the holiday. Julie wanted to host it and her uncle was willing to indulge her. Of course, it would be the first time Julie would cook the traditional Thanksgiving meal and Kim offered to help. The two girls planned the meal and made the guest list: Milton, Jerry and Kim's dad were a given. They debated over inviting any of the Black Dragon students and ultimately agreed to extend invites to some, fully expecting rejections because most kids would be with their families.
She truly couldn't believe how well the move to Seaford turned out. She had friends. Good friends. Friends, she believed, who would stand by her. And even though her family was small, the friendships she had made her feel like she had more than one person to call her own. Not everything was perfect of course. Donna and her circle shunned her. But because that particular clique was so obnoxious majority of the school did not go alone with them. So she wasn't part of the creme de la creme, but she had acquaintances aplenty. There were some rumors about her, of course. She was a bottle blonde, dumb, and very, very, poor, but those didn't stick. She knew from Jerry that there was some posts about her on social media that Donna have circulated, but Kim did not have a social media presence and therefore she didn't care.
She even thought that she maybe made a friend with Jack, who was friendly now, if a little formal. They could have nice conversations and their music discussions were always interesting. And she would admit that when he smiled and talked about subjects that interested him, he was very good looking. It did not hurt that his tall figure with broad shoulders made him look appealing even when he was just a grouchy guy she met at first.
That his cousin came and tied to unsettle her was annoying, but she didn't hold it against Jack. We, none of us, could help the kind of family we end up with. She herself could name at least two cousins of her own, who were nasty and caustic.
It is probably because she came to think of him as a possible friend, that she was shocked (and hurt) when he so easily dismissed her as 'some barista.' She didn't care for Kai's implications that Jack and her were an item, but Jack did not have to disclaim any relationship to her.
Kai, the creep, was really a bad sort: she could tell that he got under Jack's skin. And even if she didn't know him to be wily and gross, she would have come to the same conclusion from this encounter alone.
What made her mad the most was the way she, or rather the notion of her, was used to threat and parry between the two cousins. Their old feud must have been really vicious, but it did not excuse either of them talking about her like she wasn't there.
She rallied, of course. If nothing else, Kim Crawford would not let anyone put her down.
She told them both off and was pleased to see them both recollect themselves. She kept her expression firm and waited until they both left before she let her true emotions take over.
Because beyond immediate anger was a surprising amount of hurt.
Because it felt like she lost a friend.
Or maybe he never was her friend and she just mistook his original aloofness for shyness. But it was really just as she thought: high handed arrogance.
It was a good thing that the fall break was coming so soon: she didn't want to see Jack. She did not want him to see how upset she was.
